Amid the carnage that the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking on Indians, doctors have reported a rare but serious fungal infection in Covid-19 patients in some parts of the country. Mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus, has been reported in Mumbai and across Maharashtra, Delhi and Gujarat. 

On Sunday, the central government announced that mucormycosis, a fungal infection found in Covid-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stays, could turn fatal if uncared for. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Union health ministry released an advisory for screening, diagnosis and management of the disease, stating that the fungal infection mainly affects people who are on medication which reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens.